Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Happy end of April! I hope that you were able to get some great books in this month! Leave your best book below.

Answer the following questions:

- Title
- Author
- Rating
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio)
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable)
- Brief reason why it was the best

I had three 5★ reads this month & I enjoyed them for different reasons.


Title: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): #6 A love story
Brief reason why it was the best: This is about book lovers, written by a book lover, for book lovers.


Title: The One
Author: John Marrs
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): I started with audio but changed to print because it got pretty confusing for me with all the different characters.
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): #49 A book with an ensemble cast
Brief reason why it was the best: All the unexpected plot twists made this thriller so fun to read that I couldn't put the book down.


Title: Blood Heir
Author: Ilona Andrews
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): #29 A book that you consider comfort reading
Brief reason why it was the best: Fantasy is my favorite genre and Ilona Andrews books are the ones I would read to get out of a book slump but finishing the Kate Daniels series gave me a very bad case of book hangover. This book is dedicated to the fans of Kate Daniels world who refuse to let it go.

- Firekeeper's Daughter
- Angeline Boulley
- 5 stars
- Print
- 42. Mystery/Thriller
- I can't recall any other book I've read that addresses so many contemporary issues so well in the context of a realistic and interesting story.

This was a good month! I have two standouts.


- Title: The House in the Cerulean Sea
- Author T.J. Klune
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) audiobook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) 36. A book with six or more words in the title
- Brief reason why it was the best: The kind of fantasy you want to wrap yourself in like a blanket. Fun characters and a fascinating world. I didn't want it to end.


- Title Second First Impressions
- Author Sally Thorne
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) audibook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) None for ATY, but I did for Popsugar's oxymoron category.
- Brief reason why it was the best
I read a lot of romance novels, and usually, they don't stick with me for much longer than the end of the page. But this one did. It was funny and cute and made me happy.

No 5 stars this month. Three 4 stars.
No Man's Land (John Puller,#4) by David Baldacci. This is the last book in the John Puller series. Mystery,thriller. Format-ebook. Prompt used for? It has a stone cold female villain/criminal.
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley. Format-ebook. Prompt used for? Title refers to someone without giving a name. YA.
This Close To Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith. Format hardback (BOTMC pick). Used for a new - to-you BIPOC Author. Mental Health

I had nothing to recommend in March and now two in a few days at the end of April.


- Title - If Beale Street Could Talk
- Author - James Baldwin
- Rating - 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) - print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) - 5. USA Today’s list of 100 black authors
- Brief reason why it was the best - compact, powerful prose in an emotional read.


- Title - Birdy
- Author - William Wharton
- Rating - 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) - print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) - 4. Monochromatic cover
- Brief reason why it was the best - Unique characters in an exploration of ‘crazy’ and sanity.

-Title Inside Out & Back Again
-Author Thanhha Lai
- Rating 5 starts
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) ebook
-ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) A book involving an immigrant
-Brief reason why it was the best It was written in verse which is not something I would normally gravitate towards but perhaps because this is more of a middle grade book it was simple enough for me to enjoy. It was very descriptive and the perspective of a child for me added a unique touch to an immigration story.

- Title The House in the Cerulean Sea
- Author T.J. Klune
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) A book with elements of magic
- Brief reason why it was the best This book has a lot of hype so kind of worried about reading it and being disappointed but boy does it deliver. Not sure I can say anything new so will just say it is such a fantastic story with rich characters and and perfect setting.

I'll recommend two books for April:

Nonfiction: Raceless: In Search of Family, Identity, and the Truth About Where I Belong
This is a truly riveting story of a black girl born into a white family, who never acknowledged her roots. Five Stars!

Fiction: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse Such a charming, heart-warming book, this is a very quick read with many illustrations. You'll love it! Five Stars!

Two again, like usual!

Title: A ​Court of Silver Flames
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Rating: 5 stars
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A long book
Brief reason why it was the best: While I technically didn't love it quite as much as the rest of the ACOTAR series, I absolutely loved the character development for Nesta and the relationships she develops with Cassian as well as her friends

Title:Punching the Air
Author: Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
Rating: 5 stars
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A book of poetry from BookList Queen's challenge
Brief reason why it was the best: Very impactful, and especially loved the commentary about the role of schools

Title A Very Punchable Face
Author Colin Jost
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format Ebook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) A book nominated for the 2020 Goodreads Choice awards.
Brief reason why it was the best I laughed throughout the whole thing.

Title:Girl, Woman, Other
Author: Bernardine Evaristo
Rating: 4 stars
ATY Prompt you used if for (if applicable): I read this for the Spring Reading Challenge, but it would work for #5, A book by an author on USA Today's list of 100 Black Novelists You Should Read
Brief reason why it was the best: The writing, the characters. I read this for my book club, and the group was pretty divided between those who loved the writing and those who couldn't get into it (and one who absolutely hated the book because of the language and structure)

Title: The Rose Code
Author: Kate Quinn
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Format: Print
ATY Prompt you used it for: Related to past, present, and future -- used it for past
Brief reason why it was the best:
Female friendships, dual timeline, unknown women in WWII, well-researched historical fiction -- this book had everything I look for in a novel. It was long (650+ pages), but I really enjoyed all of it from start to finish.

I had already picked my best book of the month, then I went and read the new Murderbot novella last night, and I have to mention it.


Title: Fugitive Telemetry
Author: Martha Wells
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format: Ebook
ATY Prompt: I didn't. I used it for Popsugar's: A locked room mystery.
Why it was the best: Murderbot is a sarcastic, paranoid antisocial cyborg that would rather just watch TV, but keeps getting drawn into human drama. What's not to love?

Title: A Desolation Called Peace
Author: Arkady Martine
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format: Audio
ATY Prompt you used it for: I might use it for " A book related to the lyrics for the song "My Favorite Things"" (there is a space kitten), but it is also most definitely "A book written by an author of one of your best reads of 2020"
Brief reason why it was the best:

Martine might just be the most intelligent author ever (or at least up there in the pantheon) and as a result her books are just that smart. If she wasn't a talented writer that wouldn't mean much, but she is, and the result is a good space opera on one level, and massively mind blowing explorations of deeply philosophical themes on the other.

Marie wrote: "This was a good month! I have two standouts.


- Title: The House in the Cerulean Sea
- Author T.J. Klune
- Ratin..."

Ditto for me with Cerulean Sea being my best of the month. 4.5 stars for me, and I used it for a book related to magic.

Title: Migrations
Author: Charlotte McConaghy
Rating: ★★★★★
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): HC (out in PB soon I think!)
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 20. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Future
Brief reason why it was the best: Atmospheric, tense, mysterious, and beautifully written!

Sam wrote: "Title: Migrations
Author: Charlotte McConaghy
Rating: ★★★★★
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): HC (out in PB soon I think!)
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 2..."

I really loved this book. It reminded me of how I felt as a kid going outside after a good thunderstorm.

- Title: Writers and Lovers
- Author: Lily King
- Rating 4.5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) None. I'm new.
- Brief reason why it was the best; Through the sadness and anxiety, it still made me laugh. King has a wonderful way of creating characters I believed. I loved the writing, the tone, the relationships, the quirky characters, and the story.

title- Kola Mother Knows best
Ebook
ATY prompt set below the tropic of cancer
best: I amdit April was not a great month but this one was quirky and fun

Ooh, I hope to read both Writers & Lovers and Migrations this year, glad you enjoyed them!

Title: Abigail
Author: Magda Szabó
Rating: 5 stars
Format: print
ATY prompt: Eligible for Warwick Prize for Women in Translation

This is my 3rd book of Szabó's, and I really enjoy her writing style. This one had an interesting plot with some history, mystery, and suspense and characters that become more complex as the story progresses.

Traci wrote: "Title: Abigail
Author: Magda Szabó
Rating: 5 stars
Format: print
ATY prompt: Eligible for Warwick Prize for Women in Translation

This is my 3rd book of Szabó's, an..."

It's nice to see a 5 star rating. I have this book on my tbr and I'm looking forward to it.

Title: An Ember in the Ashes

Author: Sabaa Tahir
Rating: 4.5
Format: audio + ebook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 1. A book related to "In the beginning" (beginning of a series)
Brief reason why it was the best:Strong writing, plot-driven but also has strong character development, likable but flawed characters, just great overall. I read the full series (4 books) this month and recommend it (though it does get dark at times).

April was a good month, I had three 5 star reads but I think I'll go with:

Title: Firekeeper's Daughter
Author: Angeline Boulley
Rating: 5 stars
Format: Print

I loved how it wove in her community and culture into the mystery, as well as looking at lots of different issues.

I didn't have any 5 star reads in April but my favorite 4 star book would have been The Galaxy, and the Ground Within

This wasn't my favorite of the Wayfairer series but it was still very good.

°~Amy~° wrote: "I didn't have any 5 star reads in April but my favorite 4 star book would have been The Galaxy, and the Ground Within

This wasn't my favorite of the Wayfairer series but it was sti..."


I just got the audio. What prompts do you think it fits?

My two favorites were:

Home, by Marilynne Robinson, part of the Gilead series. I gave it 4.5 stars. It's very special to me, as it discusses sister/brother dynamics. But it's not for everyone. It's an intense character study, but boring in terms of action. I would recommend reading book:Gilead|68210] first.
I will use it for 15. The main characters are Siblings. It also fits 31. An author with a long career (more than 21 years).

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier. 4.5 stars. This is a great suspense story by a masterful author.
It fits 21. Letter u, and 14. Mystery/thriller, and 31. Author with a long career (more than 21 years).

Title: Float Plan
Author: Trish Doller
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format: Audio

ATY Prompt you used it for: A book with a travel theme.

Brief reason why it was the best This book hit several sweet spots for me: low budget travel, sailing, and a love interest with an Irish accent.

My first book was also listed by someone else which is kind of cool! :)

- Title: A ​Court of Silver Flames
- Author: Sarah J. Maas
- Rating: Five stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Audio book
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A book related to the lyrics for the song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music
- Brief reason why it was the best: Maas is an author that does not shy away from weaving mental health issues into her novels. Somehow she made Nesta, one of my least favorite characters, interesting and even, eventually, likable. Her cast of characters is fantastic. She writes interesting, strong, powerful, deep, and complex women. Her male characters are also amazing. I had four five star reads this month, and three of them were from Maas.

- Title: Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart
- Author: James R. Doty
- Rating: Five Stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Audio book
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A book with six or more words in the title
- Brief reason why it was the best: He weaves solid science with practices that are often dismissed such as meditation. He talks a lot about his own past. I found the info he presented fascinating.

Other five stars reads: A Court of Frost and Starlight and A Court of Wings and Ruin both by Sarah J. Maas

Title: The Forsyte Saga

Author: John Galsworthy

Rating: 5

Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Audio

ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable)

Brief reason why it was the best
Family saga with lots of melodrama.

- Title: You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism
- Author: Amber Ruffin
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format: Book
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 24. A book about racism or race relations
- Brief reason why it was the best: A book that made me say "wow"

Title A Memory Called Empire
Author Arkady Martine
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Format (Print, eBook, Audio) ebook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) Reject Challenge - Brains

Brief reason why it was the best
Amazing world building that is not european based.

Title Murder in Old Bombay
Author Nev March
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format (Print, eBook, Audio) ebook

ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) NATO - I for India

Brief reason why it was the best
The main characters are native to india. The story is about them, their culture, not the English.

- Title: The Goblin Emperor
- Author: Katharine Addison
- Rating: 4.5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): #14 A book set in a made-up place
- Brief reason why it was the best: Compelling and warm story that felt like it reflected on the real world with ease.

Title: Survivor Song
Author: Paul Tremblay
Rating: 5 stars
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): eBook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 39 involving an immigrant
Brief reason why it was the best: a plague, quarantine, two women trying to make it to safety. Realistic characters and tense & relentless pace.

Updated the listopia through here. Feel free to go upvote your favorites!

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Title: Somebody Give This Heart a Pen
Author: Sophia Thakur
Rating: 5 stars
Format: ebook on BorrowBox
ATY Prompt: 26- a book under 210 pages by a new-to-you author
Brief reason: I don't often like poetry but this was incredible. Beautifully written and easy to read.

Title
The Evening and the Morning
Author
Ken Follett
Rating
4★
Format (Print, eBook, Audio)
Print and audio
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable)
N/A
Brief reason why it was the best
Normally long books daunt me, but I'd been getting impatient with short books just before I read this - they felt like they didn't have any substance to them. So I changed tack and tried a door-stopper instead, and I just loved the ongoing saga of it all!

Title: Spinning Silver
Author: Naomi Novik
Rating: ★★★★★
Format: ebook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): I didn't use it for ATY, but it would work for prompts 14, 27, 28, & 43
Brief reason why it was the best: a really well done fairy tale retelling

- Title The Test
- Author Sylvain Neuvel
- Rating 5 Stars
- Format Audiobook
- ATY Prompt you used it for A book with a Muslim character or author
- Brief reason why it was the best A short book that pulled me in some unexpected directions.

Updated the listopia through here!

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Title: After I Do
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Rating: 5 stars
Format: Audiobook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A book with flowers or greenery on the cover
Brief reason why it was the best: I read this as someone who was about to get married. I was so uncomfortable, scared for, and so so so heartbroken for Lauren and Ryan. There were multiple points I ugly cried and I think my heart rate was through the roof at certain parts. As soon as I started reading this book, I immediately thought, this is either going to be one star or five stars. It's going to make me feel so much that I'll be in pieces and it will haunt me forever, or it will give me a new perspective about life and love. It's five stars, y'all.